Black Ice
by Ilurvmustache123
Summary: 19 year old Sage Lewis is a mage with a dark past that she can't seem to escape from.Hoping to redeem herself and find peace after the death of her beloved mother, she joins Fairy Tail to try to start a new life.But when her past rears up once more,nearly crushing her for good,will a certain ice mage be able to save her before it's too late? Or will she face death, as her mom did?
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys! Alex here! c: This is my FIRST EVER Fairy Tail fanfiction! Try not to be too harsh on me! I accept criticism, but if you could try to be polite in pointing out my mistakes, it would really be appreciated. :) I hope you guys enjoy!**

**Chapter One: Newcomer**

As I walked down the cobblestone streets towards my destination, only one thing was on my mind. Today was the day that I had decided to join a guild. However, there was one guild in particular that had caught my attention, supposedly the strongest guild currently residing in Fiore. This particular guild was located in Magnolia Town, and though I had never been here before I immediately knew the guild hall when I saw it. After years of being told stories by my mother and studying the guild, how could I possibly miss it?

I sighed. I truly hated to talk about my mother. Though she had brought me so many good memories, I had lost her. And it was my fault that she was dead. This was a heavy burden I had carried since I was just 10 years old. Now, as I stood in front of Fairy Tail, I was a much stronger 19 year old girl. As I walked through the doors to my, hopefully, brighter future, I could only think; would this guild allow me to redeem myself from the horror of my own mother's death? Or would the entire escapade be completely pointless?

As I entered through the doors, all eyes turned to me. The hall was an absolute mess. Broken furniture was scattered all over the floor, and I glanced over to see a man still mid-throw with a chair in his hands. I heard hushed whispers, quieting down as I slowly passed them and made my way upstairs to the office belonging to the guild master. A few faces stood out from the rest. One, a tall, muscular guy with… was that _pink _hair? I also managed to spot two girls seated at a nearly empty table, one with long, dark red hair and honing a shining suit of armor, the other being a busty blonde with chocolate brown eyes that seemed to nearly stare right through you. As I passed their table, I couldn't help but notice the other male form seated at their table. This guy had black, crow-like hair shaping messily around his face and nearly covering his eyes. He wasn't wearing a shirt, and the blue Fairy Tail guild mark was plain on his muscular chest. As I passed, he looked up, offering me a crooked smirk. I looked away, passing him and making my way up to the guild master's office. As I stepped through, he looked up, a small smile lighting up his wrinkled features.

"Hello, child. And to what might I owe the pleasure of your company on this fine day?"

I walked forward, placing my hands on his desk, before saying slowly. "If it wouldn't be much trouble, I would like to join your guild."

He sat back in his chair, staring at me for a moment before responding, "Ah."

"So," I said. "Are there try outs for this thing or something? If there are, I need to know when. I kind of have a busy schedule."

He burst out laughing. I raised an eyebrow, waiting for him to calm down. Were all of the people in this guild nutballs? Right as I had begun to regret my decision to join a guild, this one in particular, the old man stopped laughing and whiped a tear from his eye.

"Whoo-wee! You sure had me going there, kiddo. This guild accepts anybody who would like to join, and readily welcomes newcomers to our guild family."

I offered a light smile. "Well that sounds quite wonderful. What must I do to finish joining this guild?"

He pointed to his door. I looked, confused for a moment, before he spoke.

"Talk to Mira, downstairs. She would be the lovely barmaid behind the counter located in the back of the main hall. It has been wonderful chatting with you. I look forward to having you in our guild."

I nodded, turning and heading out the door. I made my way downstairs and to the bar, waving over who I assumed to be the Mira he mentioned. As she approached, I took in her appearance. She had long, shiny silver hair down to her waist, waving and curling to add a soft look. Her bangs were brought into a hairband on the top of her head, and a shimmering smile made her features glow. I felt self-conscious merely looking at her. She smiled, turning her head to the side. "And what can I do for you today?"

I cleared my throat, looking at my hands. "The guild master told me to come to you for a guild mark."

She raised her eyebrows. "Ah, here to join the guild! How lovely!"

She reached for something behind the counter before turning back to me, a bright smile on her face.

"Alrighty!" she said. What color and where would you like it?"

I thought for a moment. "Black, and on the right side of my chest."

She placed the magic stamp in the ink before pressing it onto my skin. As she pulled the stamp back, the Fairy Tail mark glittered on my skin before fading back to black.

She smiled. "Welcome to Fairy Tail."

**I know the chapter is probably kind of short... Sorry about that! I promise to try to make the next one longer! If you enjoyed, please review. If you didn't, tell me what you think I should do to improve my story! Either way, it would really brighten up my day. Thanks for reading, and see you wonderful people next chapter. :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys! So I have decided that this story will be updated Sundays and Thursdays every week. It really makes me happy to see that people are reading this story. It really brightens up my day. ^-^ So I just want to say thanks to all you guys that have taken the time to read it!**

**Anyways, I spent last night writing this chapter. If you think any changes need to be made, let me know and I will get right on it. :) Hope you enjoy the chapter~!**

**Chapter Two: Nightmares**

After I had gotten my guild mark, the blonde from earlier came up to me and introduced herself, later acquainting me with the rest of her team. Her team, or Team Natsu, as it was called, consisted of the blonde, Lucy Heartfilia, the pinkhead, Natsu Dragneel, the armored girl with red hair, Erza, and the other half naked guy seated nearby. Gray Fullbuster.

Gray, apparently an ice make mage, was my very first rival here at the guild. Supposedly, he didn't get along with the pink haired guy, Natsu, either. But I just couldn't help it. That damned smirk and his snide comments got to me, and after a few sly comebacks, he had insisted on a brawl. Of course, I declined. It was my first day at this guild, and I wasn't going to make it that easy for them to guess my magic. Especially because of how rare and powerful it was.

I headed out after that, making my way down to the new apartment I had just recently purchased. As I walked in, I almost tripped over the forgotten luggage sprawled all over the floor. I sighed, picking up the most vital of my bags and carrying it upstairs to what I had decided would be my bedroom. To my surprise, all the furniture was already in place, courtesy of the movers. I plopped down onto my bed, clicking open my suitcase and setting my clothes out in a neat pile. Finding a pair of pajamas, I showered and brushed my teeth before heading to bed. After a wonderful day at my new home, I could only hope the nightmares wouldn't haunt me that night. But, of course, I couldn't be that lucky…

_Flashback_

_Screams. I could hear them all around me. Men, women, children. Smoke poured through my vision, clouding my lungs and depriving me of air. I stumbled up to a standing position, looking around me. The town I had called home was destroyed. Dead bodies lined the streets, buildings lay collapsed in wreckage. People screamed and wailed for their lost loved ones, desperately trying to bring them back. Flames licked the sky, the deathly smoke seeming to trap the once quiet town within its darkness._

_Suddenly, a familiar voice rang out among the others._

**_"Sage!"_**

_I spun around. The voice of my mother rang clear as a bell through the night air, desperately calling for me to come. I ran as fast as I could, following my mother's voice until finally I reached the source._

_There, my mother stood. But she wasn't alone._

_Men stood to my mother's left and right, two on each side. Another man stood behind her, a knife at her throat._

_"Mommy!" I screamed, my voice coming out hoarse and panicked. I ran towards her before one of the men stepped forward, shooting a hand out to engulf me in flames. I screamed, writhing in agony, before I collapsed to the ground. My mother screamed, thrashing around in the man's arms._

**_"You stay the hell away from her!"_**

_I heard the anger in my mother's voice, and I could mentally envision her eyes turning red, her body slowly heating up with magic. As my mother's anger radiated through the group, I thought for a moment that she would get us out of this. That she would get rid of those men and we would run away and forget all of the bad stuff that was happening. My thoughts, however, were suddenly cut off as her once angered screams turned to ones of complete and utter agony. I looked up to see she had been encased in barbed vines, the vines slicing and cutting deep into her mother's precious skin._

_Anger took over. The need to protect my mother filled me, and I instantly ran towards the men. I felt my magic pour through me, heard the shouts of the men as they realized I was running towards them. But it was too late. I felt magic form at my hands, and as I neared my mother's main captor, I lifted my fist, sailing it through the air. Suddenly, I froze. That face. How could I possibly forget the face of that man? The one who had tormented me for years in my dreams, telling me to never speak of him. That he would take away everything I had ever loved if I did._

_But it was impossible. The man… he wasn't real. He was just a dream, right? At least, that's what mommy had told me this morning, when I finally told her about the nightmares…_

_Oh, no._

_He opened his mouth into a sickly grin, his teeth elongating and his long, snake-like tongue slithering out of his mouth. His eyes flashed black, and my mouth dropped open in terror as his free hand rose, flashing razor sharp claws as he swung down at me. His claws sliced across my stomach, cutting deep into my flesh and leaving burning welts in his wake. I flew backwards, crying out in pain. Blood poured out of my wounds, soaking my skin and clothing with its warmth. I turned my head towards my mom watching as the man brought his dagger down to her neck._

_"I told you not to tell anybody..." his sadistic voice echoed._

**_"I'm sorry mommy…"_**

I shot up out of bed, tears pouring down my face and covered in a thick sheen of sweat.

"Mom…" I whimpered, pulling my knees to my chest and sobbing. After a few moments, I took in shaky breaths, wiping the tears from my eyes and swinging my legs off the bed. I looked at my clock. 3:30. Nobody would be up at this hour.

I took a shower, brushing my teeth and putting on light clothes before heading out to the guild. If everybody was still home and asleep, as hoped, I would be able to use the space out back for training. The only thing that could possibly get my mind off of the constant nightmares.

I headed immediately towards the grassy area at the back of the guild, first stopping at the corner to peek and make sure I was alone. Satisfied, I found a sturdy tree and began to train.

**Gray P.O.V.**

Gray strolled towards the guild, eager to get in some early morning exercise before everybody else woke up and decided to head over. He had made sure that now, at 4 in the morning, everybody would still be asleep and he would get in about an hour or so of training.

As he made his way to the back of the guild, he suddenly stopped. Labored breathing broke through the air, along with heavy thuds and rustling. Carefully, he peeked around the corner, and he had to say, he was shocked.

There stood the female mage from yesterday, clad in a loose white tank top and black shorts. Her raven black hair swirled around her as she attacked her target. Gray could only say one thing; he would hate to be in that tree's place.

Scratches and dents lined up and down the tree. Bark peeled off in many places, along with a few dots of blood here and there. Her exposed skin was covered in minor scratches and bruises, the black tape on her knuckles being the only relief from the constant mauling her fists were giving the tree.

She stopped suddenly, picking up a discarded towel from the ground and wiping her forehead. She turned around, and before Gray had time to react, her violet eyes met his.

_Oh, shit._

**Haha. ;) What do you guys think is gonna happen next? Review or PM me any ideas or questions you might have, I'd be happy to consider them and maybe apply them to my story. :) I am pretty happy with this chapter, it's longer than the last one, as promised! If you liked it, review! If you didn't, tell me what you think should be changed! **

**Thanks to all who have read my story! Cya next chapter! ;3**

**~Alex~**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey guys! Alex here! I am SO happy right now, thank you guys so much for following and favoriting this story! It means so much to me to see that people are reading and liking the story so far. Anyways, I'm sure you don't want to keep reading this boring author's note, so here's the third chappy! Thanks so much!**

**Chapter Three: An Eventful Brawl**

Fury filled me. Tears streaked down my face as I punched the tree repeatedly, ripping bark and tearing skin as I directly hit my target again and again. Each time my fist or my leg struck the tree, I imagined the tree being that man. The one who killed my mother. Who left me with absolutely nothing until…

I growled, shaking the thoughts out of my head. No. He had abandoned me, too. Elementorum. Dragon of the elements. He had raised me after the death of my mother, taught me Elemental Dragon Slayer magic. But just as I had lost my mother, I had lost him, too. Or rather, he had abandoned me. Seven years ago.

After that, I was forced to survive on my own. Training, searching for a purpose. I isolated myself in the forest for many years after that, fearing giving my trust to another being ever again.

But now, I had found a purpose. I had met so many kind people, people that seemed to accept me and want to help. But could I truly trust these people? Or in the end, would they abandon me as everybody else did?

As I shook myself away from my thoughts, I realized the shape I was in. My knuckles were dripping with blood and covered in splinters, minor scratches and bruises lining my arms and legs from the constant punching and kicking of the tree. My body shook from a mix of pain and exhaustion, the nightmares and harsh training wearing me out.

I stepped back from the tree, staring at the damage, before picking up my towel and wiping my face, erasing the tear streaks. I brushed my hair away from my face. Maybe the guild would have a water I could snag?

I turned around, looking up and meeting an icy pair of eyes. It didn't take long to realize who those eyes belonged to, especially as his already shirtless form made its way around the corner. I stood, frozen in anger, staring into the eyes of none other than Gray Fullbuster.

"What the hell are you doing here?" I growled.

His eyes narrowed, and slight anger flashed across his features. "I could be asking you the same thing, newbie."

I turned away from him, picking up a hair tie and tying my hair up into a loose pony tail. "Whatever."

I heard him chuckle, and I turned around to face him. "What's so funny?"

He shook his head, turning and heading in the opposite direction. "Nothing."

"Hey!" I shouted, running after him. "Don't walk away when I'm talking to you, asshole!"

He ignored me, making his way to the front of the guild as I struggled to keep up. As we walked into the front of the guild, he immediately made his way to the bar. A moment later, he tossed me a bottle of water.

"Thanks," I mumbled, to which he responded with a nod.

After a few minutes of silence, I finally asked, "Exactly how long had you been standing there?"

He turned his gaze to me, raising his eyebrows. "A minute or so. Why?"

I smirked, looking out one of the windows. "Don't want you knowing too many of my tricks. If you know my strategy, it'll be hard to defeat you."

He snickered. "Better expect it to be difficult anyway. You're the only one that would be getting defeated, newbie."

"I doubt that."

"Try me."

I looked at him, a genuine smile on my face. "Another time, droopy eyes. I don't feel like it."

Suddenly, he lunged at me. Eyes widening, I feinted to the left. I hadn't expected him to just attack me.

"What the hell, Gray? I told you I didn't want to fight right now!"

There was that damned crooked smirk. The one that just ticked me off to no relent. "You have to be ready to be attacked at any moment. Never let your guard down, or you're sure to be defeated. Especially around me."

Damn it. How was I supposed to refuse a battle when he was ticking me off so much?

"You don't frighten me, Gray. And in case you hadn't noticed, my guard wasn't down. Otherwise, you wouldn't have missed. Maybe it's you that needs to focus, hmm?"

He growled, taking his stance. "**Ice make: Lance!**"

The ice lances rocketed towards me, and on instinct, flames shot out of my hand, hot enough to melt iron. His weapons turned from solid to liquid almost instantly. He looked at me, eyes narrowing, but his smirk returning. "A fire mage, are we?"

I laughed, the noise echoing through the quiet guild. "Not quite."

I formed into my stance, feeling the power of the elements form around me. This was not a real battle, so I would choose only one element. Allowing the element of air to come to me, I thrust my hands out to the side, moving my hands in a circle and swirling it around me. I felt the air speeding up, forming into damaging gusts of wind that would easily slice through its target. In one swift motion, I forcefully shoved my hands out in front of me, targeting a startled Gray.

"**Ice Make: Shield!"**

The razor-sharp gusts of air flew past me, knocking into his crystalline shield of ice. After most of the gusts hit the shield, it shattered, leaving only the remaining blows to hit him. He stumbled backward, my deadly air attack wreaking havoc.

As I readied myself for another attack, I suddenly heard a familiar voice from behind me breathe, "Wow."

I turned around to see none other than Lucy, her face in an expression of awe and she looked at my magic swirling around me. With a single flick of my wrist, the power of the elements slipped away, awaiting my next calling. Noticing I was looking at her, her face lit up into a friendly smile.

"Hey-"

Suddenly, a heavy forced slammed into me, knocking the air from my chest and pinning me to the ground. I looked up to see Gray, his signature crooked smirk spreading across his face. "Gotcha."

It took a moment for me to realize the position we were in. He was currently on top of me, leaning over me and pinning my wrists to the sides of my head. His cold breath blew onto my face as my gaze finally met his again. I blushed, now frozen in place. My heart rate sped up tremendously, and I suddenly began to wonder what the hell was wrong with me. As if sensing how I felt, I saw something strange flash behind his eyes before he leaned closer. I turned my head to the side, his cold breath trickling down my neck and causing me to shiver.

"Something wrong, newbie?" he whispered innocently.

Suddenly, another voice broke in.

"Hey, Luce, why'd you stop at the door?"

A tuft of pink hair floated into my vision as Natsu broke through the door, taking in the surroundings and… Gray laying on top of me.

"W-what the?" he stuttered, his face turning the same shade as his hair. Suddenly, he snapped his head over to look at Lucy. "Luce, this is why you don't run ahead of me and Happy." She rolled her eyes, giggling.

Regaining my composure, I looked back at Gray. Seeing that smug grin, a renewed anger fueled my words. "I suggest you get off of me. Now."

He snickered. "Or what?"

I growled, sending him a death glare. "I'm not going to continue fighting you if that's what you were hoping."

Before he could respond, I threw him off of me and halfway across the guild, his body smashing into a table before he finally hit the ground with a loud thud. Using the tiniest bit of magic, I allowed air to swirl around me and lift me onto my feet before I once again withdrew my power. I brushed myself off, sighing. What was that feeling I just had in my chest? Was it because of him?

He stood up, wincing, before that snarky grin returned to his features. "You know, I like a strong woman."

Lucy rolled her eyes. "Stop messing around, Gray. You're pissing her off."

"That's the point."

Noticing Natsu still bearing his confused look, I explained the situation. When I was done, he threw his fist into the air with a laugh, pointing at Gray, who had now stood up and began to make his way back over, grumbling under his breath.

"Ha! Looks like you got beat by a girl, Ice Breath!"

Lucy, narrowing her eyes, turned to Natsu, hands on her hips and mouth twisted into a scowl. "And what is _that _supposed to mean, Natsu? Are you saying a girl isn't capable of beating a guy?_"_

He turned to her, eyes wide. He gulped, before stammering, "N-no, I mean…"

"_Lucy kick!"_

_ "_Lucy! That hurt, damn it!"

"You deserved it!"

Their argument soon ended, only to be replaced with Natsu picking a new fight with Gray for no reason whatsoever. Typical day in the Fairy Tail guild. Hopefully they wouldn't destroy everything. I really didn't feel like cleaning up. I decided to sit at a table, watching them beat the crap out of each other, picking up on their strategies and analyzing them subconsciously. I didn't think I would ever truly need to know them, considering they were my friends. Were they my friends? What exactly did it mean to be friends with somebody?

I shook my head once more. I was worrying over stupid things again. But as I went to push those thoughts aside, I remembered why I had come here to begin with. I wanted to start over, to try and lead a new, happy life. Maybe having friends wouldn't be a bad thing…

Sensing a presence beside me, I immediately snapped out of my thoughts and looked over to see Lucy staring at me. Remembering what I had just thought, I offered a small smile. She smiled back, before asking, "Everything okay in there? You seem to be thinking awfully hard about something."

I laughed lightly, nodding. "It's nothing. Thanks for worrying, though."

"No problem!" She grinned. "Hey, so, I really wanted to ask you something."

I froze, thoughts drifting through my head. She didn't want to know about my past did she? Had she been snooping and possibly found out about what had happened? What could she possibly want to know?

"I was wondering if maybe you wanted to go on a mission with me."

I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding in, looking at her. Her eyes widened and she looked down.

"Well, it's just that you're new to the guild, and you don't really know anybody and stuff, so I figured maybe we could go on a mission and get to know each other better." She sighed. "I was new once, too. I didn't want you to be alone."

I looked at the ground. "So you pity me."

She snapped her head to look at me, eyes wide. "No! That's not what I meant at all!"

I chuckled, looking at her. "It's fine…"

After a moment of silence, she sighed, and began to get up before I blurted out, "I'll go."

She snapped her head to look at me, a smile lighting up her face. "Really?"

I laughed, smiling back and standing. "Really."

We talked and pondered over what missions we would take, the struggles of paying rent, hell, we talked about just about everything. It was then that I began to think that maybe, just maybe, this whole starting over thing would be a lot better than I thought. And for the first time since the loss of my mom, I was happy.

**A bit of GrayxSage in this chapter. ;) Haha. There will be some more of that in the future, and some action is coming up soon! I am really loving writing this story, and it inspires me to write more seeing that people are reading it. I want to thank all who have read, favorited, followed, and reviewed. And I really hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. See you guys next chapter! Thanks again!**

**~Alex~**


	4. Chapter 4

**Guys... I am sooooo sorry for not uploading on time and stuff. A lot has been going on lately. Particularly bad things, lol. **

**But anyway, I don't wanna bother you guys with my problems, so here's the next chapter. It's longer than the others, and it has plenty of GrayxSage. Hopefully this makes up for the missed updates!**

**Chapter Three**

That morning, after the same recurring nightmare, I ended up waking up at the exact same time I had the other morning. As I had every single other morning after the nightmare. This time, though, I was expecting it. I handled it better, shedding no tears and managing to steady myself after a few shaky breathes.

This morning, I wisely decided to not head over to the guild, knowing ice breath would probably be there. And frankly, I didn't want to see his face. Not to mention in a few hours, Lucy would be here. We were going on a mission together today. An easy one, since this would be my very first time going on a mission.

After hearing stories about how Team Natsu had a habit of destroying towns, nearly causing Lucy to not be able to pay her rent, I was thankful that they wouldn't be going with us. Maybe this was what I needed. Just going out on a mission and having fun with a _friend_. I think I could consider Lucy to be a friend of mine. She now knew just about everything about me except for my past… and the nightmares.

I got up, beginning my daily routine of showering, brushing my teeth, and getting dressed for the day. I figured I would get in plenty of training on the mission, so I didn't worry about it too much. I threw on a dark grey tank top with a breast pocket, black leather skinny jeans, and a pair of beat up combat boots. I tied my hair up in a loose pony tail, moving to my suitcase to pack. I packed numerous outfits, my toothbrush, and a hairbrush. Looking for the last item to put in my suitcase, I walked over to my desk. I opened a drawer, lifting up the bottom to reveal a secret compartment. Inside was a small dagger. As I lifted it out, I applied a small amount of magic to the tips of my fingers. The dagger grew until it finally became a gleaming sword, the initials W.J.L. engraved into the sharp tip. My mother's sword. She had crafted this with her own hands long before I was born, and passed it down to me just shortly before her demise. I withdrew my magic, allowing it to shrink back into a dagger before placing it carefully in my bag. I grabbed my crystal necklace off of the desk and threw it over my head, grabbing my bag and moving to go downstairs. It wasn't long after I had stepped out of my bedroom, however, that a knock sounded at the door.

"I'll be down in a minute!" I shouted, rushing to the door. I set down my bag and opened the door wide to reveal Lucy, a beaming smile on her face. She waved and I responded with a small "hello."

As I stepped out, a flash of red came into view and I looked to see none other than Erza standing impatiently by my door. I gave Lucy a questioning look and she laughed sheepishly.

"Yeah, um, Erza wanted to come along and get to know you better, too, so I told her she could come along…"

Erza offered a warm smile, stepping forward and holding out her hand. I gladly shook it, smiling back.

"Hello," she said. "I look forward to battling with you. Lucy told me you have quite the magical skills."

I blushed lightly, looking at Lucy to see her offer me another sheepish smile.

Erza frowned suddenly. "She also told me what happened with Gray. Would you like me to beat the shit out of him for you?"

My eyes widened. Now it was Lucy's turn to blush. "Erza! You weren't supposed to mention that part!" she shouted. "It's a _secret."_

Erza sighed, turning away with a roll of her eyes, but not before whispering, "Let me know if he gives you any trouble. I will gladly make him regret it."

I shivered, imagining what she would do to Gray. He was an ass, sure, but nobody deserved the wrath of Erza.

Soon after that, we made our way to the train station. We bought three tickets for the 5am ride and soon were on our way to our destination. I looked to Lucy.

"Could I please take a look at the mission request for a moment?"

She jumped, eyes widening, shaken from what must have been some very deep thoughts. She smiled before handing me the paper. "Here you go."

I nodded my thanks before turning to the paper. We just had to defeat some monster and collect whatever item it had supposedly stolen, bring back the item, and collect our reward. It gave us a high reward, both Lucy and I would have easily over double what we would need for our rent, even splitting it into thirds. I had been itching for a good fight. A _real _fight. Hopefully this monster would be strong enough that I didn't have to hold back.

I went to hand the paper back to Lucy, I noticed she was spacing out again. I tapped her on the shoulder, getting her attention.

"Hey, is everything okay? You seem like you're thinking about something."

She bit her lip, as if contemplating to trust me or not. I tried my best to show the concern I held in my expression, and a moment later she let out a resigned breath.

"Just some boy problems. There's a lot of stuff that I'm really confused about right now. I'm just trying to figure it all out."

I leaned forward, putting my elbows on the table in front of us and propping my head up to stare at her. "Wanna talk about it? It might help. And you can trust me to keep a secret."

She looked around. Erza was across from us on the other side of the aisle.

"If we whisper, she won't hear. She is really into that strawberry cake."

Lucy giggled, before nodding. "Okay… well…"

I leaned closer if it were possible, prodding her to keep going.

"I think I like Natsu," she blurted.

My jaw dropped. "Natsu?"

We talked for a while, and I tried to the best of my abilities to help. Apparently it worked, because by the end of our conversation, her signature smile was lighting up her face again.

"Now that you helped me," she said slowly. "How about I help _you?_"

I froze, eyes widening. "What do you mean, help me?"

She winked, leaning closer. "How can you sit there and say nothing is going on after what I walked in on in the guild yesterday?"

I felt heat rush to my face, and I shook my head back and forth repeatedly. "No, no, no, no, no! That was a complete misunderstanding."

"Uh huh."

"I swear! Nothing happened!"

"Then why are you blushing?"

I thought long and hard about that. "I don't know…"

She giggled, winking at me again and leaning back. "Looks like you have some boy troubles of your own to figure out. Troubles involving a certain ice mage."

If it were possible, my blush doubled. I stared at the window, focusing back on the mission and avoiding the topic. There was no way that she could be right. Especially not when it was _him_. Plus, I couldn't let my feelings get in the way of my training. At least not until my goal had been reached.

An hour or so later, we finally arrived at our destination. As we stepped off of the train, a small town spread out before us, surrounded by thick woods. A mountain stood high in the background, home to the supposed beast we were targeting. Lifting up my small suitcase, I turned to Erza.

"Where does the map say the hotel is?"

She pressed a button on her bracelet and a digital map appeared. "According to our map, it should be just up ahead. After we get settled in, I think it would be best for us to rest for the night and head out in the morning."

I nodded, making my way to the hotel. A shabby, slightly run down building stood before us. The building, made from old marble, stood chipped but strong as ever, shielded from above by thick iron. Good thing we didn't bring Gajeel. He would have been likely to have eaten the roof.

We walked inside, approaching an old man who looked to be around 70 or 80. He was snoring, obviously asleep. Before anybody could protest, I snapped my fingers in front of his face, instantly shaking him from his deep sleep.

"Wha- oh. You young ladies nearly gave me a heart attack," he said, clutching his chest. "You are from Fairy Tail, are you not?"

We all looked at each other and nodded. He gave us our keys and directed us to our room on the top floor.

"Let me or one of the staff know if you ladies need anything!" he shouted before closing the door. There were two beds. I began thinking about sleeping arrangements, which led to my thoughts drifting to the matter of my night terrors…

"Hey… guys?" I spoke softly.

The other girls turned to me, and I shifted around awkwardly.

"Maybe we should sleep in separate rooms."

They looked around, eyeing the two beds and turning back to me before laughing.

"Sage, if sharing beds would be too much of a problem for you, you can have one of the beds to yourself. I'll just share with Erza."

"Haha, of course. I do have to warn you though, Lucy, I have a habit of punching people in my sleep…"

"Just my luck…"

I sighed. There was no way of getting out of this. Hopefully I wouldn't yell out in my sleep. That was another nightmare in itself. They would demand an explanation, and though they were my friends, I had _never _talked about my nightmares. I didn't plan on changing that any time soon, either.

After readying myself for bed, I went immediately to sleep. I never did like to travel unless it was necessary, and doing so was tiring. I was greeted by the same nightmare, yet it didn't end as it normally did… Instead, the dream granted me an extra scene, one I didn't remember. I was positive that what was happening didn't actually occur.

_ He brought the knife to my mother's throat, slitting it in one clean swipe. She gasped, falling to the ground in a pool of her own blood. I wasn't in much of a better state than her. My stomach was nearly in ribbons from the gash the man had inflicted, my body covered in bruises and third degree burns from their fire mage._

_ "__**I'm sorry, mommy…"**_

_ I waited, patiently, for the dream to show mercy and let me back into the real world. But as long as I waited, it didn't happen. I swiveled my head slowly to see that the man was right beside me, eyes black and blood trickling from his mouth. I screamed, his maniacal laughter echoing through the air as a giant hole opened in the ground, pulling me deep within its depths. I screamed as my body burned like I was once again on fire, suddenly surrounded by complete darkness. _

_ I suddenly hit whatever bottom the hole had. A single beam of light shone down then, and I crawled towards it. As I neared what I had hoped would be my only chance of escape, the light was shut out and laughter echoed around me. I looked all around, summoning air to my side. My mother had been an air mage, a very powerful one at that. I swirled it around me in sloppy, weak gusts, too desperate to manage a suitable attack. _

_ A hand darted into view, and a moment later I was thrown haphazardly into a wall, falling to the ground. I struggled to a sitting position before the hand darted out again, punching me in the face and pinning me to the ground by my throat. I struggled against its grip, proving escape to not be possible. Back then, I didn't know how to use air magic without my hands, nor did I have knowledge of the other elements. I was helpless._

_ "Thought it was over, did you?" a voice hissed in my ear._

_ "It's not even close to being over," another hissed on my other side._

_ Suddenly, the cave began to shake with the hisses of different beings, each one harsher and louder than before._

_ "Stupid child."_

_ "You can't hide forever."_

_ "You're going to die."_

_ I opened my mouth with a scream, falling silent under all of the other shouts around me. Just as the shouting began to become unbearable, they suddenly stopped._

_ "He's going to find you."_

_ The voices suddenly returned, calling out only one thing._

_ "Sage," they screamed._

_ I screamed for them to stop when suddenly thousands of hands shot out of the darkness._

_ "__**SAGE!"**_

I shot up in bed with a final, blood curdling scream. I couldn't stop the tears from pouring out of my eyes as a pair of arms wrapped around me.

"Sage! Sage, are you okay?" Lucy cried out worriedly. I shook, unable to conceal the sobs leaping from my throat.

Lucy moved back as Erza ran over. She place her hands on my shoulders, shaking me and looking me in the eyes.

"Sage? What happened? Are you alright?"

"Please… stop," I spoke softly. She slowly took her hands off of my shoulders and stood. She looked at Lucy and they both nodded at each other.

"Erza and I are going to go down and get some breakfast and give you some time alone. If you want to talk, we will be right downstairs."

I nodded shakily, pulling my knees to my chest in an attempt to block out the world around me and the embarrassment of them witnessing my horrible nightmares. I cried softly, wishing badly that my mother was still there. Or Elementorum. Just somebody…

The door clicked closed, and I cried until nothing was left but sniffles and a headache. Turning to my dresser, I grabbed some Tylenol and popped it in my mouth, not bothering to grab a drink of water before swallowing it down. I stood, facing the door, before pausing. How could I face them again after what happened? I sighed, heading downstairs anyway. It's not like I really had a choice.

The rest of the day was quiet. Nobody attempted at conversation or brought up what had happened that morning, speaking only to discuss battle plans and strategies.

The monster was defeated with ease, and after collecting our reward, 200,000 jewels each, we packed up our things and immediately headed towards the train. Both of the other girls gave me worried glances now and again, but I was completely lost in thought, still trying to process what my nightmare could have meant. Why had it been different from the others, and who was this 'he' that they spoke of?

I was still deep in thought when Lucy tapped me gently on the shoulder, alerting me that we were back in Magnolia. I decided against immediately heading to the guild, first going home and unpacking. I almost didn't even bother going back to the guild, deciding against staying home only with the thought of 'maybe it could help me clear my mind for a bit.'

Before entering the guild I paused, reaching up and clutching the crystal dangling from my neck. I silently prayed I wouldn't regret coming here tonight. When I went in, everybody looked at me for a moment. I saw a smidge of worry in their eyes before they turned away, resuming their conversations.

"Wonderful," I whispered to myself. "Now the whole guild knows about the nightmares and how I broke down in the hotel room."

I sighed, mentally smacking myself. 'They are just worried,' I thought. 'Try to be a little thankful.'

I moved to the table seating Team Natsu and sat down. They all stopped mid conversation and looked at me, each one of them offering me a smile, except for Gray. Blowing it off as his normal behavior, I gave each of my friends a small smile.

"Hey, Sage. Feeling better?" Lucy asked.

I nodded, calling Mira over and ordering a strawberry milkshake. Lucy looked extremely happy at my drink choice.

"Those are my favorite, too!" she said laughing.

I chuckled. "We just have good taste."

"I like strawberries too," Erza said, munching on her signature strawberry cake. Both me and Lucy laughed. Suddenly, Natsu's words broke through the happy air.

"So, what was the whole freaky nightmare thing about? Are you going crazy or something?"

Ouch. Well that was a stab right to the heart. I froze, coughing and nearly choking on my drink. Erza sent him a death glare and he just looked at her innocently.

"But Erza, I just wanted to know!" he whined, looking at me again.

Everybody… Everybody in the guild knew. Now they would never treat me the same way ever again. Maybe people like me weren't meant to be part of a huge group of people. Maybe it was a mistake coming here…

"I-I…." I stuttered. "Excuse me."

With that, I got up from the table, jogging and pushing through the guild doors. A few small tears of frustration built up and I wiped them away angrily, trying to will them away. My feet had just made their way from the steps to the pavement when a firm hand grasped my arm. I turned around to face my assailant; Gray Fullbuster.

I opened my mouth to demand him let me go, when suddenly, his arms were wrapped around me. Shocked, I stood there, trying to process what was happening. Gray Fullbuster was hugging me.

I felt wetness on my cheek and realized I was crying, my tears having leaked onto his chest. I bit the inside of my cheek in an attempt to will the tears away, but they continued to flow freely. I tried to pull back, but instead of letting me go, he tightened his hold. I looked up at his face. His cold blue eyes met mine, somehow seeming different than before. Almost… vulnerable.

"Don't cry," he said softly.

I gave a small sigh, closing my eyes and forcing the tears to stop. I pushed away from him, taking a few steps back.

"I should go…" I mumbled.

He lowered his gaze, turning his head away. With that, I took off down the road, to the point of welcoming my nightmares. Just anything to get my mind off of the recent occurrences at the guild.

Still distracted by my own thoughts, I failed to notice the shadow lurking nearby. Or how the shadow slowly multiplied, calling on reinforcement. As I reached my apartment, I took the key ring from my belt and began to search for the one belonging to my front door. I had just found the key when a hand clasped over my mouth, and several more restrained me. A heavy object was slammed against my temple, and dropping my keys to the cold pavement outside of my apartment, I faded into total darkness.

**Gray P.O.V.**

Gray didn't know what had come over himself that night. But seeing her so sad, so helpless and innocent, sent sharp, stabbing pains through his chest. Seeing tears form in her eyes was the last straw for him, and when she had left the guild he didn't hesitate to follow her.

Just as she had reached the pavement outside of Fairy Tail, he grabbed her arm, unwilling to let her be alone when she obviously needed somebody. She turned around, and instantly seeing the tears flowing freely down her face, he did the only thing he knew to do. He pulled her closer, wrapping his arms around her firmly in an attempt to shield out the unkind world around her. Her body began to shake, and he knew she was still crying. He felt her begin to pull away and instead of letting go held her tighter. If he let her go now, she would leave without any regrets, and they might never see her again. _He_ might never see her again.

Gray had no idea what had come over him. While Gray was a bit of a ladies man, no girl had ever made him feel like Sage did. He didn't understand it, and it seemed to be a bit painful at times, but he sure as hell didn't want to lose it. It was like a drug, he couldn't get enough. He couldn't explain what she did to him, and it interested him as well as confused him. But all he knew was that he couldn't let go of her now.

Lost in thought, he was unaware when Sage finally pulled out of his grasp. He looked at her, struggling to hide the worry in his eyes.

"I should go…" she whispered weakly.

He felt a pang in his heart from her response, and he looked away, struggling to push back his feelings for the moment. As he looked up, he saw she had begun to run away. He stepped to go after her when an armored hand clamped down on his shoulder.

"Let her go," Erza said. "She will be fine. She just needs time."

As much as it pained him, he nodded, heading back into the guild. He only hoped that Erza was right, and that Sage would be okay. There was something about the feelings he was having that made him want to protect her at all costs. But if she needed time to sort things out, he would wait for as long as it took.

**Soooo. ;3 You can now start to see feelings forming between Gray and Sage! Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter! I worked super hard on it! c: If you could review and let me know your opinion, it would be greatly appreciated! Once again, I'm really sorry for not updating sooner. I promise I will try really hard to update on time from now on. I again want to thank all who have followed/favorited this story! It's really helped a lot to pull me out of this funk! **

**Anyways, see you next chappy!**

**~Alex~**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey guys! Alex again! I just really want to apologize for not updating on Thursday. Thanksgiving should give me an excuse, but I should have updated this on Friday or Saturday or something. I really have been wanting to write on this story, but I have just been so busy recently that it's nearly impossible to update twice a week. So for now I have decided that I will just update on Sundays. That way I know I can update on time. Once again, I'm really sorry. And the once a week thing might not be permanent! I just need to do that for now until I have more time to write. Anyways, I worked really hard on this chapter for you guys. I really hope you'll forgive me and that you enjoy this chapter!**

**Chapter Four**

Three months had passed since Sage had abruptly ran out of the guild, and the guild members were worried. During that time, nobody had seen her anywhere near the guild, or anywhere in Magnolia for that matter. The only place that nobody had checked was her apartment, and that was because she had strictly insisted that nobody come near her home. And because of her immense magical power, nobody dared to test how much she meant her threat. But Gray had gotten to the point that he didn't care anymore. He had tried to respect her privacy and stay away from her apartment, but three months was too much. His worry for her was now much too real, and he was still unsure of what any of it meant. But he couldn't let petty feelings get in his way now. Her safety was what currently mattered to him. She was nakama, after all.

As he approached her apartment to knock on her door, something crunched beneath his feet. He took a step back, reaching down to pick up the discarded item. Silver flashed in the street lights, slightly illuminating his hand. Her apartment keys.

Panic coursed through Gray's body, and he moved forward to try the door. Locked. Her bag sat spilled out on the pavement, her drink glass shattered onto the ground and the dried contents leaving a stain on the concrete. Finding the house key, he shoved it into the door knob, twisting it and lunging through the doorway.

"Sage?" He called. No reply. "Sage!" Still, no reply.

Now in a pure state of panic, he darted up the stairs, throwing open her bedroom door. Everything was untouched, just as she had left it. The bed made, all of her things in a neat stack. Only one thing on her writing desk stood out from the rest.

A worn book sat wide open on her desk, ink splattered hurriedly onto the page. He strode over quickly, grabbing it and reading its contents.

"_I had the dream again when out on a mission with Lucy and Erza… a nightmare all in itself. I've considered staying home and leaving the embarrassment of the guild to be dealt with tomorrow. No doubt they told everybody about my freakish dreams. I can only hope these people, who I have come to call my nakama, don't resent me as much as I fear…_

_ Moving on to the matter of the nightmare… this particular one stood out from the rest. The ending was different… 'He is coming' they had said. Who is this 'he' they were talking about? Could it be… him? I hope it isn't… But at the same time I look forward to it being him. Ever since the death of my mother, I have been anticipating his death… The look of shock on his face when I take his magic, and maybe even his life… _

_ No… Even though they say 'an eye for an eye' I will not take his life unless absolutely necessary. Taking his magic should do the trick. He would never be able to truly harm somebody again. I know in my heart that is what my mother would truly want. Killing him would only make my heart as cold and dark as his._

_ I'll be heading out to the guild now. Considering this new addition to my dream, this may be the last time I see my precious nakama. I know my mother will grant me her support from the Spirit World, just as she did in life. And if my team reads this, I'm sorry. I can't tell you where I am, for I probably am not aware myself… All I know is this has something to do with the horrors that have been haunting my mind for all of this time… I truly hope to see all of you again soon, though that may or may not be the case… But just in case we do not happen to cross paths again…_

_ Thank you for everything you have done for me during my stay here. You are the only things that have given me peace from my haunting past._

_ -Sage"_

Anger built up inside Gray, and he felt tears prick at the corners of his eyes.

"She… She knew this was coming… But she didn't tell anybody. She didn't try to prevent it, or save herself…"

His hold on the book tightened, and before he could stop himself, he hurled it across the room.

"How could she be so _stupid!_"

He felt the temperature drop around him and magic begin to pulse through his veins. He took a deep breathe, forcing himself to calm down. Looking at the book, he knew there was only one thing he could do.

"I have to tell the guild."

**Sage P.O.V.**

I woke up, my head pounding and my mind groggy and shaken. My vision came in blurred as I slowly opened my eyes, attempting to take in my surroundings. I blinked a few times, clearing my vision slightly. From what I could tell, I was in a room made entirely of some sort of metal or iron. It was cold and completely barren, the only thing occupying the room other than myself being the thin cot I was currently sitting on. I sighed, closing my eyes in focus.

If I could call the element of fire to me, if I could get it just hot enough, just maybe….

I froze, realizing suddenly that I wasn't able to move my hands apart. I tried once more, flexing them slightly, and realized that my wrists were bound.

"Hmph. Well that was stupid," I chuckled. I'd just burn it off with fire magic. I took a deep breath, centering myself.

"Element of Fire. Come to me."

I waited patiently, silently beckoning the element to join me in the cold cell, yet the only hint that my element had heeded my call was a slight rise in the temperature around me. Confused, I tried again.

"Fire, come to me.**"**

Still, nothing happened. I shifted, pulling my knees slightly closer to me and sliding my hands underneath of myself, bringing my legs through my arms and allowing my hands to now sit on my lap. I lifted them up, assessing whatever was binding my wrists together.

A sticky substance covered both my left and right wrist, and I tried, unsuccessfully, to pry it off in the slightest. I tried to summon water and earth next, failing just as I had with fire. I took in a deep breath, finally deciding to rely on my most trusted element.

"Air, I need you."

I felt the atmosphere around me stir, and a familiar magic filled my heart. I may not have been able to control air with my hands, but with my mind and heart perfectly in tact, they could not prevent me from using the wonderful element. Speaking of which…

"Get rid of this nuisance on my wrists."

The air thickened around me, before a strong blade of air cut swiftly through the sticky binding on my wrists. The initial binding now broken, I swiftly peeled the substance from my skin and threw it aside.

I sighed. Well, this was a start. But I knew what I really had to do. And though it pained me to use the fifth, forbidden element, I knew that I needed to if I was going to escape from here. The only side effect would be that using this element drained my magic immensely, and it would take a lot of focus to be able to control it for a long period of time. But this was necessary. I had to escape, I had to get back to the guild and see my friends again, and see Gray…

I froze. Gray? I furrowed my eyebrows, wondering what could possibly be wrong with me. No, I knew what was wrong with me… I just didn't want to admit it to myself, due to being too stubborn to focus on anything other than training. I closed my eyes, shaking the thoughts from my head. Now was not the time.

I walked forward, experimentally summoning fire to the palm of my hand and pressing it to the cool metal surface. It began to hiss, before the element of fire suddenly ceased. I tried once more, only for the same thing to happen. I tried to summon earth and water as well, but neither were at my disposal, so I think you can guess how that went. I growled, pinching the bridge of my nose in irritation. Apparently the walls were resistant of any type of heat whatsoever, and I highly doubted air would cut through a three-foot thick wall of iron.

"Damn it," I breathed. "I really am going to have to use it…"

I steadied myself, bracing for the drain of energy using this power would cause.

"**Forbidden Element: Spirit. I call you to my aid.**"

Power instantly surged in the atmosphere around me, but I gasped as I instantly began to feel the drain of magic power from my body. I took a deep breath, slowly exhaling. Using my Dragon Slayer senses, I took in a big whiff of air. I found my target almost instantly, a guard standing just at the end of the hall outside my door. I opened my eyes, suspecting that they had already turned silver from the use of spirit. A golden glow surged around my body, and the magic power flowing through the air was undeniably of a surplus. I didn't know that I had gotten this strong…

"Air, take away any oxygen surrounding the guard. When he faints, please bring him to the door."

I felt Air surge around me before its magic moved into the hallway. Due to my super hearing, I was able to pick up on a small strangled cry before a thud sounded through the hallway. There were a few short sounds of struggle before everything fell silent. A moment later, a strong gust of wind blew through the hallway, and a heavy thud came against my door.

"Thank you, Air. You can rest now."

The thick air around me softened, and I felt my air magic slowly recede back inside of me. Now relying completely on the element of Spirit, I slowed my breathing and steadied myself.

"**Elemental Dragon's: Spiritual Possession!**"

I gasped. Pain surged suddenly through my body and I screamed. It felt as if my spirit itself were splitting in half. A stray tear escaped and I gritted my teeth. I closed my eyes, the intense pain slowly ebbing to a dull ache. Part of my spirit was now detached from my body, the part I was currently in control of. Turning around, I saw myself. I was floating a few feet above the ground and surrounded by a soft golden glow. I turned, making my way to the door and slipping through the thick iron with ease. Without hesitation, I found my target, pushing into his body. Once inside, I felt my spirit slowly spread out, taking over his physical body and leaving him without control. A moment later, I blinked. Or rather, he blinked. Bringing this temporary vessel of mine to a standing position, I reached to my waist, grabbing the key ring. I used his memory to find the one belonging to my cell, and soon had the door unlocked and wide open for my escape. I turned to the wall, running, and slammed his body into it headfirst, making sure I left just before impact. I couldn't help but let out a small giggle in my head before once again joining with the other half of my spirit, allowing me to be whole once more. I gasped as the golden glow faded back inside me, dropping me to the ground.

Exhaustion crashed upon me, and sweat poured off of my body. My breathing was labored, and my magic energy was now down to a dull pulse. I forced myself into a standing position, stumbling to the door and looking around. A narrow hallway spread out before me, seemingly made of marble. I mustered up my strength and began running down the hallway. I made it to the door and made my way up the stairwell that followed. A wide room opened out before me, decorated with old moldy wooden tables and rusty metal benches… and a guild full of wizards. They all turned to look at me, and seeing it was me, they all stood up. They began to call on their powers, and without thinking, I summoned the rest of my air magic.

"Air, protect me!"

All of the air in the room flew towards me and began spinning at a rapid rate, swirling around me like a deadly tornado. I ran towards the door, the air shielding me from any attacks. I felt the remains of my magic energy begin to slip away from me as I dove through the exit, running for the woods. I stumbled through the trees clumsily, trying to force up any energy I had left to keep running. Footsteps sounded constantly behind me, and I tried to use that as motivation. Even my motivation, however, couldn't keep me running forever.

I figured I had run for about a mile when my legs suddenly gave out on me. I cried out as I fell to the forest floor, my head landing on one of the many thick roots covering the ground. Stars danced in front of my eyes, and my world began to fade in and out. I struggled to move, to do anything, but I was drained completely of both physical and magical energy. The last thing I saw before my world fell into complete darkness was the black, soulless eyes of my mother's murderer.

**Guild P.O.V.**

The guild wasn't entirely sure what to think when Gray ran into the hall yelling gibberish to the Master. Erza eventually managed to calm him down and get him to tell them what happened. After Gray had told everybody what he was going on about, the entire guild went silent. Mokarov's face went entirely dark, everybody settling their gaze on him. Gray was quaking with anger, fists clenched tight enough to make his knuckles turn white. Natsu, noticing this, leaned over and whispered something in Lucy's ear. She nodded, her gaze turning to Gray as well.

"He's getting really upset about this," Natsu said. "I mean, I'm upset too. We all are. But this isn't like Gray."

Lucy nodded in agreement. "I think there is something going on between those two."

Natsu's eyes widened, and he blushed a little, his eyes lingering on Lucy. Feeling his eyes on her, she turned to look at him.

"Are you okay, Natsu?" she asked, concerned.

He gulped, nodding, before looking away quickly. He cursed under his breath for getting so worked up. He suddenly didn't blame Gray for acting the way he was. In fact, he had to respect the man. If somebody had taken Lucy, he would have probably destroyed half of Magnolia by now.

Suddenly, the loud voice of Master Mokarov rang through the dead silence in the room.

"Well, what are we all sitting around here for? Let's go get back our nakama!"

The guild erupted in cheers and shouts, and everybody stood up from their seats. As Master Mokarov spoke of their plan, Natsu walked over to Gray. He clapped a hand on his shoulder, catching his attention.

"Don't worry yourself so much, Ice Breath. We'll get her back."

He turned to Natsu, eyes widening for a single moment before they narrowed. "Whatever, Flame Brain. I'm not worried."

But Natsu knew Gray was lying. He made it obvious how worried he was. Though they both constantly fought all the time, Natsu didn't like to see one of his nakama so upset. He would make sure that Sage was safely returned. Not just for the sake of Gray, but because she was part of the guild now. And nakama were never left behind.

**Not quite sure how I feel about this chapter. I hope you guys like it! If you did, click that sexy review button! I just want to thank you guys once again for following/favoriting this story. It really means a lot to me, and even just seeing a new view on this story makes me happy. So you can probably imagine how thrilled I am when somebody follows or favorites :P I also got my first review the other day. Yayyy! Lol. Anyways, thanks and I'm REALLY sorry about the updating thing! See you next chapter!**

**~Alex~~**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey guys, it's Alex! I know this chapter is extremely short, and I'm really sorry about that. My laptop got knocked over the other day, and the screen got knocked loose, so right now it's being repaired. I just now convinced my friend to let me use her computer, and this is all I could manage for now. I promise the next chapter will be a lot longer!**

**I want to thank you guys for the new follows and favorites, and the reviews! **

**I got some advice to try and slow down the relationship between Gray and Sage a bit (not disclosing a name, I don't know if that would be okay with them), and I really appreciate you telling me. I reviewed my chapters, and I really have been going a bit too fast with it, heheh. So thanks for pointing that out, I will make sure I work hard on that!**

**I should have my laptop back by next update, so sorry again about the short chapter. I hope you enjoy!**

**Sage P.O.V.**

It seemed like an eternity before I began to feel myself slipping back into consciousness. My memories were scattered throughout my mind, and a sharp pain was continually shooting through my temple. From the source of the pain leaked a warmth, which I concluded was most likely blood. At the thought of my injury, all of my memories clicked together, and I struggled to force open my eyes.

My vision was blurry and distorted, but I still managed to make out my surroundings. A large clearing stood out before me, along with the presumed dark guild I had encountered earlier. They were all facing away from me, focusing on something in particular. I tried to move to get a better look, only to realize that my wrists were wrapped around a tree behind me and bound with, of course, more of that damned magic cancelling stuff. I growled, shifting around until I managed to get to my feet, and managed to get a peek at their focus of attention. Instantly, my blood turned cold, and I let in a sharp intake of breath.

His features were unmistakable under the glow of the moonlight illuminating the clearing. His face scarred and skin pasty white, his stringy black hair falling down to nearly his mid-back. His body was covered with an old black cloak, and his black eyes peered from under his hood menacingly. I involuntarily shivered, tightening against my bonds. A dull ache formed in my stomach, where the scars from his attack still adorned my once smooth skin. I was still looking at him in shock before he turned, locking his gaze with mine.

His grin widened, and I fought violently against my bonds as he moved through the crowd towards me. A small sliver of fear formed as I realized I couldn't escape, and before I knew it he was standing in front of me, amusement dancing in his cold black eyes. I turned to him, a scowl forming on my face. He grinned, lifting clawed hand to my cheek, and I instantly recoiled, slamming back against the tree to avoid his foul touch.

"You nearly got away earlier," he hissed. "You caused quite a bit of trouble for my guild. I expect you to apologize."

I growled, spitting in his face. His black eyes widened, and he sent me a menacing glare before his clawed hand made contact with my face. I let out a small cry of pain as blood began to seep from my cheek. The scratches burned, and as I tried to will away the pain, the stinging only began to steadily increase. I gasped as the pain became nearly unbearable, and squeezed my eyes shut for a moment to compose myself.

"You may not want to try that again," he growled. "Those scratches I just inflicted are laced with a deadly poison. Too much of that will kill you quicker than I would like, and we wouldn't want that, would we?

I opened my eyes, giving him an even stare. "What do you want from me?"

He laughed, the horrid sound ringing throughout the clearing. "I think you know what I want. Your power."

"Guess my mother wasn't enough for you, hmm?" I ask, my anger slowly beginning to rise as I remembered the incident.

"Your mother wasn't even a piece in my game. She was just in the way."

My head snapped up at that, and my anger instantly skyrocketed.

"A game, huh? You must be one sick piece of shit to kill innocent people over a game. But you probably already know that yourself, don't you?"

He let out a small growl, closing his eyes. A moment later, he opened them, and that sadistic grin of his was back. "None of that will matter anymore. This little game of mine will soon come to end once I have attained your power, and your life. I will take it forcefully, or you could choose to do this willingly."

"Eat shit."

A sharp pain suddenly surged through my ribs as he landed a sharp blow to my chest. The air escaped from my lungs, and a moment later I was on the ground, coughing for air. Every time I coughed or tried to breathe, a sharp pain shot through my torso, and I realized he had probably broken a few of my ribs. I still forced myself to stand up, not willing to fall before him like a weakling.

His hand clasped around my throat and pinned me to the tree, and I smelled the coppery tang of blood on his breath as he leaned towards my ear.

"It doesn't matter how much you fight me. You and I both know that you are not nearly strong enough to defeat me. You weren't even strong enough to save your own mother, so what makes you think you can save yourself?"

I stopped fighting at that, and a small pang shot through my heart at the mention of my mother's death. He released my throat, and I shook my head, steadying myself. I experimentally tried to summon my magic, as if maybe my energy could have recovered by now. Though I could now sense my magic within me, it was dull. Cursing under my breath, I focused my attention once more on my captor.

He now stepped towards me, and a flash of silver glinted in his hand. My breath caught in my throat as I realized he now held a dagger, a menacing grin spreading across his pasty skin.

"Forcefully it is."

**:3 Hope you enjoyed the chapter! I worked hard for the short time my friend gave me xD Hopefully this will be enough to hold you guys over until I can update a better chapter for you guys. Thanks again for the new follows, favorites, and helpful reviews! See you guys next chappy x3**

**~Alex~~**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey guys! Alex here! As promised, here is your new, longer chapter. I tried my best! I still don't have my laptop back... -.-" It's been snowing so much here I haven't been able to get out of the house and go get my laptop. I am once again using my friend's computer to get this shit done xD (Excuse my French ;3) Anyways I managed to give you guys (hopefully) a much better chapter this time. I hope you guys enjoy!**

**Chapter Seven**

**Team Natsu P.O.V.**

"You're sure you caught her scent from this forest?"

Natsu turned, facing the red haired mage. "Positive. It shouldn't be much farther, either."

Gray trudged alongside them, grumbling under his breath and rubbing his head where Erza had hit him on more than one occasion. The Master had entrusted Erza, Gray, and Natsu with finding Sage's location, and once it was discovered the rest of the guild would arrive to help. They weren't quite sure what they were up against, but Sage's immense fear of whoever this enemy was told them that he was no weak opponent.

They took a few more steps forward when a blood curdling scream echoed throughout the forest. Gray froze, raising his head up with wide eyes.

"That was Sage," he said, looking around as if he could spot her.

"I… I can smell blood," Natsu whispered. "And a lot of it."

Gray growled, his ice magic surrounding him. He took off in the direction of the scream, Erza and Natsu right behind him. They eventually stopped when a large clearing came into view at the edge of the forest, and from what they could make out there were a lot of other people there.

"A dark guild?" Erza questioned.

"She's here," Natsu said. "The blood is hers."

Erza brought a small lacrima to her mouth. "Master, we have found Sage's location. We don't have much time. Please send the rest of Fairy Tail immediately." With that, she turned to the boys, requipping into her Heaven's Wheel armor. "Gray, Natsu and I will hold them off. Go find Sage."

Gray no longer held back, and the temperature instantly dropped around them. Natsu shivered, sending Gray a glare before allowing his fists to be covered with fire.

"Do you have to make the air cold every damn time? I'm freezing!"

"Stop complaining, Natsu," Erza scolded. He nodded.

"I'm all fired up."

**Sage P.O.V.**

He plunged the dagger into my stomach, twisting it, and I let out a loud, blood curdling scream as agony shot through my body. He removed the dagger a moment later, and a few tears streaked down my cheeks as I fell to the ground. Blood seeped heavily from my wound, and my clothes were already beyond soaked. A moment later, I felt my bonds be removed. My happiness was short lived, however, when they were immediately placed back on after my arms were removed from around the tree. A hand lifted me up by my hair, beginning to drag me to the center of the group.

After being struck numerous times by the cloaked guild members that we passed, the crowd opened up to reveal a small, shabby little stage set up in the middle of the clearing. On it appeared to be a tub of some sorts, and as I was lifted onto the stage I spotted blackish purple liquid swirling around in it. Noticing that they were bringing me towards it I wriggled, trying to muster up enough strength to break free. Pain instantly rocketed through my body, and I coughed up some blood. I took in a few shaky breaths and let myself fall limp. I could already feel the effects of blood loss, and knew that there was no possible way I could escape.

They sat me on the edge of the tub, stretching my arms above my head. I caught a glimpse of my captor once again as he neared me, his black eyes shining. "You do not deserve the power you have been given. You have not even seen a fraction of the full potential of it. Know that by giving us your power, giving it to much more skilled hands, it will no longer be wasted on a pathetic mortal such as yourself."

I managed to let out a low growl, wincing as even that slightest action caused me pain. He gave me a sickly grin before turning back to the crowd.

"Today is a day of celebration! We have finally captured our target, and as your leader, I, Mairead Messorem, swear that from this day forward, we will no longer be mocked by the outside world! Once we have harnessed her power, we will become the strongest magical guild Earthland has ever seen!" Cheers echoed through the crowd, comments like, "Just kill her already!" and "Take the power now!" pierced my eardrums, and I felt anger build up inside of me.

"All of you are pathetic!" I spat. The crowd quieted, turning to me. I grimaced in pain, still bringing myself to continue.

"Taking another person's life, all for the sake of your own luxury… You people sicken me. It's not even the fact that it's my life at stake, it's the fact that you pieces of shit would follow and worship somebody like him, or that you would even begin to think that something like this is okay, regardless of whose life is being taken. Can you not see the evil of what you people are doing? You already took my mother away from me. Isn't that good enough for you people?"

"**THAT'S ENOUGH!**"

My eyes widened, and I turned to look into the eyes of Mairead, my mother's murderer. Anger lit up his features, and his canines were elongated. He turned to the people holding me.

"**Put her in, now! The draining of her magic will begin.**"

They began to lower me back and I wriggled, ignoring the pain it caused. I received a punch to my wounded stomach, and I cried out as tears blurred my vision. Time seemed to slow down, and I closed my eyes, taking in shaky breaths.

"Mom…" I whispered.

"**Where is your mommy now?**" Mairead's voice hissed in my ear.

"I'm sorry…"

I felt my back begin to burn, my life energy slowly slip away…

"_Get your filthy hands off of her!_"

I froze, eyes shooting open. Something whizzed over me, and shouts sounded from both Mairead and the men surrounding me. The hands suspending me above the water disappeared, and I gasped as I began to fall into the water. But just as my skin had begun to breach the surface, a pair of arms grabbed me and pulled me from the tub. I looked to see Erza staring into my eyes, and a moment later she had brought her sword down onto my binds, reducing them to shreds. She furrowed her brows as her eyes ran over my wounds, but she immediately stood, turning to face the opposite direction.

"Gray! Protect her!" she shouted, pouncing off of the stage and into the crowd of wizards. Fire shot through the air, and footsteps sounded before a familiar ice mage came into vision. He knelt down, letting in a sharp intake of breath at the vast amount of blood pouring from my wound. Carefully, he brought my head to rest on his leg.

I chuckled, a sarcastic grin slowly spreading across my face. "How do I look?"

"Like shit," he said, returning my sarcastic grin. I began to laugh, but was cut off as I fell into a coughing fit. I rolled over, blood from my mouth spattering onto the wooden stage surface. Gray's eyes widened, and he helped me back onto his leg. His playful expression was now replaced by one of complete seriousness.

"Why didn't you tell anybody what was going on?"

I sighed, closing my eyes for a moment, before opening them and looking straight at him. His expression showed a mixture of emotions, ranging from worry to anger. A small mischievous smile formed on my face.

"Been snooping through my journal, eh? Haven't you ever been told it's impolite to go through other people's personal items?"

The worry faded a bit, replaced by a bit more anger. I could tell by now that Gray had a bit of a temper. He turned for a moment, shooting an ice lance through an approaching figure, before turning back to me.

"That doesn't matter right now, alright?" He sighed, scratching the back of his neck. "If we had been a moment later, you would have died."

Genuine surprise ran through me, but I didn't allow it to show on my face. I chuckled, looking up at him for a moment. "I didn't know you cared."

He drooped his head down to face me, his eyes locking with mine and a dead serious expression on his face.

"Sage-"

Suddenly, his form was ripped away from me, my head thudding onto the wooden surface of the stage. I looked above me to see that he was now suspended in the air, shadowy tendrils wrapped around his arms, legs, and neck.

"Gray!" I shouted, falling into another coughing fit soon after. I dropped back onto my back, gasping for air as I began to feel a huge wave of exhaustion sweep over me and my vision begin to fade. I had lost a dangerous amount of blood, and I knew that if I didn't get medical attention soon that I would die. I had held out for a long while, but I didn't know how much longer I could make it.

I looked to the source of the tendrils and spotted none other than Mairead, his cloak in shreds on the ground beside him and his hair wild. He held a crazed expression on his face, his canines jutting clearly from between his thin lips. I could no longer move my body more than a twitch here or there, and my vision faded in and out. I looked around me, my eyes landing on the fight beyond the stage. Over half of the wizards had been defeated, but there was still easily a hundred skilled mages left, including the guild's S-class trio. My eyes flitted to a fallen Natsu, laying motionless on the ground and guarded by a battered Erza. I looked up to get one last glance of Gray before my vision faded completely and I fell into unconsciousness.

* * *

_Black. Darkness. The only thing that I could currently see. My body felt light, nearly weightless as I floated through the dark space around me. I felt completely at ease, no pain whatsoever. I struggled to remember what I had been doing before I ended up here, and a moment later my memories flooded back to me. Was I dead? No. Not even close. Something told me that I was still very, very much alive, even with my physical wound. A familiar air surrounded me, and I immediately sensed the element of Spirit all around me in this dark void, more powerful than ever. I looked down to see that I was still in my clothes from before, a rip in my shirt from the knife and the wound still fresh. Suddenly, the Spirit element surged towards my wound, and in shock and awe I watched as the wound slowly faded until nothing was left but blood. I sighed contentedly, a small smile on my face. But suddenly, I frowned. I couldn't stay here. My friends were out there fighting for me, to protect and save me, even when the odds were so much against them. As peaceful and nice as it was here in this dark silence, I couldn't stay. I couldn't abandon my nakama._

_I looked around myself, struggling to find any possible way to come back to the real world._

_"**Find your power,**" a little voice whispered. I spun around, looking for the source of the voice._

_"Who are you?" I asked._

_"**I am you.**"_

_I furrowed my brows, looking around a bit more. "How do I get out of here?"_

_"**Find your inner power. Only then will you be able to return to the real world.**"_

_"What are you talking about? What inner power?"_

_Suddenly, a figure appeared in front of me. I moved to get a better look when I suddenly stopped, staring in shock. The figure standing in front of me was... **me**._

_I moved closer to the figure, staring into it's eyes. It stared directly at me, and as it spoke it's next words, a chill ran down my spine._

_"**You are much more powerful than you know," it spoke, mimicking my voice perfectly. "Find the true potential of your power that you have been keeping locked up since the accident. Break the lock you have kept on yourself. Only then can you be free of your inner darkness.**"_

_"I don't know how!" I shout, lunging forward to grab the figure. Yet as I was about to make contact, my hand hit a solid barrier of glass. As I looked up, I found myself simply looking into a mirror._

_"Wha-" I begin. Suddenly, a bright blue light begins to shine far in the distance behind me. I turn from the mirror, settling my gaze on it. I began to float over to it, and the closer I got, the more an inner voice began to coax me to it. Once within arm's length, I stopped. Immense magical power radiated from the little crystal of light. I stared, in complete awe, and reveled in the feeling of it. It was truly beautiful, so pure and full of power. This power was stronger than any I had witnessed before, and I was completely stunned and impressed at the magic radiating from it. Carefully, I reached out my hand. My fingertips brushed it's silky surface, and it instantly surged around me. I felt no ailments, no exhaustion. Light flooded the darkness, extinguishing any traces of darkness once there. I felt the lightness of my body slowly become physical once again, and a grin spread across my face as I once again entered the physical world._

_"_I'm ready._"_

* * *

**Alrighty! I actually really enjoyed writing this chapter, so I hope you guys enjoyed reading it! I know I updated kind of late this evening, sorry about that. I spent longer writing and editing than I thought I would, lol. Anyways, thanks for all the follows, favorites, reviews, and all the readers who have continued to stick with me throughout the story! It means a lot! ^-^**

**Also I really want to apologize for the last chapter... Not having my laptop shouldn't have really been an excuse, but I tried the best I could for the limited time I had. I really hope you guys will forgive me about that!**

**Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed!**

**See ya next chapter! ;3**

**~Alex~~**


	8. Im so sorry

Hey guys im sorry my computer crashed :'( so I wont be able to update for a while. But ill start back up as soon as I can I promise! im so very sorry!


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